For more than 35 years, IBM has demonstrated support for environmentally sound computing technologies, and as global growth and development increasingly strain the resources of our fragile planetary ecosystem, the company is now taking that commitment to a new level with the launch of Project Big Green. IBM will spend $1 billion annually to transform its IT infrastructures into "green" data centers through a series of new energy-efficient products and services. The initiative includes a new worldwide "green team" of more than 850 energy efficiency architects from across IBM.
| Stepping into a greener future |
As businesses grapple with the rising cost of energy, the impetus for transforming power-hungry IT infrastructures into leaner, greener operations goes beyond altruistic aspirations to bottom line realities. To assist companies in reducing their energy usage and associated environmental footprint, IBM proposes a comprehensive approach that includes evaluating the client's existing facilities and developing a plan for revamping equipment and procedures that contribute to high energy use.
| Optimizing the IT environment with IBM Systems & Tivoli Software |
The combination of IBM Systems and Tivoli software not only offers companies the ability to update and enhance performance in existing data centers but also provides a robust foundation for designing and implementing new, energy-efficient operations from the ground up.
IBM offers a suite of products to resolve energy inefficiencies, as well as pre-configured and custom data center designs. Consolidating hardware to conserve power, using software to automate and optimize the IT environment, and reconfiguring the physical plant to enable more efficient cooling are all ways to keep energy usage optimized as workloads and business requirements change.
Many companies are finding that replacing older IT equipment with new BladeCenter servers can reduce overall power and cooling requirements by 25 to 40 percent. IBM's Cool Blue BladeCenter servers use less power and run cooler than competitive blades and its POWER 6TM processor-based servers deliver outstanding performance. And the IBM System z platform can be configured to consume 90% less power than comparable, more conventional operations.
| IBM Systems - The virtues of virtualization and storage |
Moving toward a virtualized infrastructure that enables consolidation of work onto fewer computers is a key part of the "going green" process. Virtualization technology enables consolidation of multiple application workloads on a single machine, reducing the number of machines required while maintaining or even increasing productivity. In addition, a virtualized IT environment is typically more resilient and can be managed from a single point of control. IBM Systems Director Family, which includes Virtualization Manager and z/VM center, and its System Storage & TotalStorage Productivity Center offer clients the tools they need to move toward virtualization and increase productivity.
Along with virtualization, IBM has developed storage solutions designed to help clients break through to the advantages of instantaneous data access, any time, from anywhere. IBM virtualization solutions support consolidation of storage resources, helping to simplify the IT environment and lower total cost of ownership. For example, the DS8000 series is designed to consolidate system storage, support tiered storage requirements, simplify storage management and ensure system availability to address a business's storage needs.
| Tivoli Software - Take control with automation |
Another way to achieve more efficient operations is by providing policy-based and event-driven task automation that allows IT staff to manage and optimize complex operations and focus on value activities rather than routine maintenance. IBM Tivoli workload automation products enable IT organizations to establish a virtual control point to build and automate a scalable service execution process across the enterprise. The results can include improved resource utilization, reduced IT management costs and increased productivity throughout the enterprise.
| Technical training is key |
These technological solutions are crucial, but the key to Big Green's success lies in the ability of in-house IT staff to implement and adapt to the recommended IBM hardware and software products to their maximum utility and efficiency. Research shows that the most effective way to facilitate smooth system upgrades, server consolidations and software implementations is to provide appropriate training on the new technology, and IBM Training is ramping up with a portfolio of offerings to address the issue.
High-intensity learning experiences have been developed for IBM System z, IBM POWER 6™ processors, IBM BladeCenter and IBM System Storage & TotalStorage to address a range of IT staff skill needs. Courses can be customized for unique environments and delivered onsite. And IBM's suite of Tivoli training offerings includes numerous choices in a variety of formats to support System Automation Family, Workload Scheduler Family, Storage Manager and Provisioning Manager.
| Preparing for a greener future |
IBM's Big Green project is a major step toward reinventing IT operations to align with business process demands of today and the energy realities of tomorrow. Transitioning to a green data center is more than just an altruistic gesture – it's now clear that going green is a necessity companies will need to embrace to reduce infrastructure costs and remain competitive economically.
Incorporating IT training into the process will be instrumental in maximizing the return on investment in the hardware and software needed to operate these new, energy-efficient data centers.
IBM is going green – is your IT staff ready to follow?
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